Zugl.: Erlangen, Nürnberg, Diss., 2004.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Delaware, 2009. / Principal faculty advisors: Christopher J. Roberts and Abraham M. Lenhoff, Dept. of Chemical Engineering. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1998. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [176]-197).

Abstract Cancer progression is a complex multi-step process. Two critical steps in tumor growth and invasion are the proteolytic processing of the extracellular matrix environment and the angiogenic switch enabling blood supply into the tumor. Matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) are a group of proteolytic enzymes involved in physiological and pathological extracellular matrix processing. Trypsinogen, a serine protease, is one of the first proteolytic enzymes characterized. The amount of one of its isoforms, tumor associated trypsinogen-2 (TAT-2) correlates with the malignant phenotype of several forms of cancers. Both of these protease groups are critically dependent on their activation from latent proforms to fully active enzymes. We found that the overproduction of TAT-2 in malignant oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line was associated with elevated proMMP-9 (but not proMMP-2) activation, as well as enhanced cancer cell intravasation in an in vivo model. This indicates that TAT-2 and MMP-9 activation play a role in the invasive growth of oral carcinomas. Proteases are involved in angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, in several ways. One mechanism is the release of cryptic anti-angiogenic molecules from larger extracellular matrix components. Endostatin is one such cryptic endogenous inhibitor of angiogenesis. Certain MMPs were able to cleave endostatin from its parent molecule, collagen XVIII. The endostatin fragments generated by MMP-3, -7, -9, -13 and -20 inhibited angiogenesis in a similar fashion as the native endostatin. The regulation between MMPs and endostatin was shown to be reciprocal, as endostatin was able to block the activation and activities of MMP-2, -9 and -13. The inhibition of these tumor-associated MMPs explains at least in part the anti-tumor activity of endostatin. Endostatin not only affects endothelial cell growth as is usually thought, but it also inhibits the migration of oral carcinoma cells. In addition, cell density and proper concentration were proven to be critical for the activity of endostatin. Arresten is another endogenous inhibitor of angiogenesis and tumor growth derived from type IV collagen. We confirmed that arresten binds to integrin α1β1 on endothelial cell surface. We found that this binding is functionally significant for the anti-angiogenic properties of arresten, as tumors planted to integrin α1 knockout mice or endothelial cells derived from those mice did not respond to arresten treatment.

Abstract Matrix metalloproteinases, MMPs, are a family of enzymes capable of modulating connective tissue components. The expression of several MMPs is increased in oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs). They are assumed to have an important role in the development and progression of OSCCs. However, the exact role and mechanism of the regulation of MMPs in malignant transformation are still largely unknown. In this study, tumour-associated trypsin-2 (TAT-2) was detected in OSCC tissue sections, and its role in MMP-2 and -9 regulation in carcinoma cells was evaluated. The TAT-2 gene was transfected into two different OSCC cell lines and one immortalized oral epithelial cell line. In TAT-2-transfected cells, MMP-9 activation increased OSCC cell invasion in chicken chorionallantoic membrane assay. Increased intravasation was prevented by tumour-associated trypsin inhibitor or specific gelatinase-inhibiting CTT-peptide. TAT-2 also converted MMP-1, -8, -13 and -3 into smaller molecular weight forms in vitro. However, TAT-2-transfected OSCC cells showed no conversion. TAT-2 was demonstrated to degrade powerfully type I collagen into small fragments in vitro. The cell surface receptor αvβ6 integrin is strongly up-regulated in OSCCs. By using β6-transfected OSCC cells, it was demonstrated that αvβ6 integrin down-regulates MMP-13 expression. However, this integrin did not regulate other collagenases or TIMP-1. β6-transfected cells invaded more efficiently through the basement membrane matrix, but their migration through type I collagen remained unchanged. MMP-8 expression was detected for the first time in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines and corresponding cultured dermal and tumour fibroblasts. The localization of MMP-8 in HNSCC was determined by immunohistochemical stainings and in situ hybridization. MMP-8 production levels in carcinoma cells were faint and sporadic in HNSCCs sections. Ninety-two primary mobile tongue SCCs were subjected to MMP-8 immunohistochemical staining, and the staining results were compared to survival rates. MMP-8 was associated with improved disease-free survival in females but not in males.